By: Yusuff Moseray Suma.
The Africa Media Network for the promotion of health and the environment (REMAPSEN) ends a three-day media conference (4th-6th) December 2024 at the Novotel Hotel in Dakar Senegal.
The conference with the theme; “Media Forum on combating violence against women and Girls in Africa: Respect for human rights and empowerment,” significantly focuses on combating violence against women and girls in Africa.
The conference brought together government officials, law makers, human rights activists, journalists, scholars, local traditional authorities and representatives from civil society organizations to discuss strategies, share experiences, highlight urgent actions and develop comprehensive approaches to address the various forms of violence faced by women and girls across the continent.
The conference started with a keynote address from the President of the organization, Bamba Youssouf, said REMAPSEN is an organization that comprises media practitioners in over thirty African countries in both francophone and Anglophone regions.
He further stated that the collective efforts of all stakeholders are essential in the fight against violence on women and girls; and that progress can be made towards achieving gender equality and ensuring the rights and dignity of women and girls in Africa are respected.
He said the role of media practitioners in such a fight is a critical one and it’s always timely to involve the media in such fight for a better Africa.
‘‘The media can educate, raise awareness, influence behavior, mobilize public opinion and policymakers, steer political debates, and drive concrete actions in favor of women,” President Bamba maintained.
He therefore called on media practitioners to be more proactive to the drive, by unearthing stories on violence against women and girls in Africa, and to let there be a sense of realization that women and girls are key partners in Africa’s development.
President Youssouf finally acknowledged and thanked UN Women and French Muskoka finance fund for sponsoring this year’s media conference, and called for more support and strengthening partnership with REMAPSEN.
ANGELA MURULI, the regional program coordinator for UN women in the Central West Africa, said violence against women and girls in Africa is a human rights violation and needs urgent attention with actions.
She further explained that violence against women and girls is caused by various factors in societies such as the economic situation, poverty, climate change, lack of access to education and public awareness. ”Even some harmful social norms contribute to the increase of violence against women and girls in Africa,” Muruli emphasized.
Madam Murili said that in Africa at least 40 percent of women and girls have experienced various forms of physical violence, and just over 60 percent of such cases have been reported in Central Africa.
She finally called on heads of State to bring up policies that will frown at violence against women and girls, and make sure those policies are implemented with stringent measures.
Nyimah Sheriff, a female journalist from the Gambia, expressed thanks for being part of the conference; and that she has learnt so many things when it comes to the protection of women and girls in Africa.
She said as a journalist she would make a good use of the knowledge gained in reporting burning stories affecting her colleague women through the media, ”The media is a good weapon that I will have to use to shape societal thinking and behavior towards women and girls in Africa and the world at large” Nyimah explained.
Policy makers and stakeholders present vowed to uphold and bring up strong policies and laws that would be in the best interest for the protection of women and girls in Africa.
The conference ended up with awards ceremony to recognize the efforts of journalists that have been reporting stories on health and the environment in both Francophone and Anglophone speaking countries in Africa.
